Stories for May 2009

Saturday, May 30

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images from the Los Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times has a photo on its business page of the Levi Strauss store in San Francisco, where the mannequins are decked out in white ribbons—in...

As a Pilates, yoga and fitness enthusiast, Gail Reisman knows that there is a long checklist to remember during a workout, from focused breathing to making sure that the back is in correct alignment,...

Apparel factories in San Pedro Sula, a large city in northern Honduras that has become an apparel-manufacturing hub, were shaken when a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit that country at 2:24 a.m. on May 28...

San Francisco–based hat maker Goorin Brothers is opening two new stores in the city, one in Union Square and the other in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. Goorin Bros. has been headquartered in San Francisco s...

GUATEMALA CITY—As Central American apparel and textile factories try to maximize the benefits of the free-trade agreement with the United States, they are learning that their one advantage is shaping u...

L.A. Fashion District workers gathered on the sidewalk to gawk as firefighters put out a smoldering fire in the dumpster near The New Mart on May 28. The fire sent a cloud of smoke billowing past showroom and office windows in The New Mart...

Wednesday, May 27

Fluxus’ debut partyLos Angeles–based Fluxus threw a fun party May 14 for the grand opening of the label’s first boutique, located in Los Angeles’ quaint Larchmont Village section. The design of the boutique, at 202 N. Larchmont Blvd., was inspired by...

Tuesday, May 26

Friday, May 22

Designs created by juniors and seniors studying fashion design at Otis College of Art and Design are on display at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills. The student designs are displayed in the store’s windows that face Wilshire Boulevard....

Photo by Pedro Andrade/Pacific Coast NewsHigh-end swimwear designer Ashley Paige is said to be partnering with Heidi Montag, the reality-TV star best known for her role as the baddie opposite Lauren Conrad on MTV’s “The...

City of Industry–based accessories company Brighton Collectibles was awarded an $8 million judgment in its copyright and trade dress suit against catalog retailer Coldwater Creek. The judgment includes more than $6.7 million in compe...

Even though the U.S. economy is in the doldrums, protectionist barriers shouldn’t be erected to impede the free flow of goods, according to former U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor, who spoke rec...

New York–based Phillips–Van Heusen Corp., owner of the Izod brand, and Macy’s are celebrating the opening of the “In Pursuit of FAST: 100 Years of Indy Racing, Fashion and Design” exhibition at Macy...

Wednesday, May 20

Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated PressLos Angeles–based designer Jasmin Shokrian got a thrill designers all over the world have been angling for—the chance to see the uber-stylish and fashion’s latest darling...

Specialty retailer Jon Kapelson was named vice president of menswear at the MAGIC International trade show. This appointment will be crucial for the section, which offers tailored suits and activewear...

MANY MOODS: From left Moods of Norway founders Peder Borresen, Simen Staalnack and Stefan Dahlkvist. They opened a Moods of Norway store on Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles.It seems like old times on Robertson. Stores are opening rather than closing. In addition to the Rock ...

SHINING RETAIL: The exterior of the Rock Republic flagship on Robertson is covered in a mirror material. The flagship store is scheduled to debut on May 18.A very long wait on prominent fashion street Robertson Boulevard might be over May 18. The Rock ...

Devastation from the recent Jesusita fire in Santa Barbara, Calif., forced one-third of the city’s population of 90,365 residents to be evacuated. Santa Barbara retailers are forecasting heavy losses f...

Tuesday, May 12

Streetwear and urban trade show Bread Butter is returning to its hometown—Berlin—in July after four years in Barcelona. And to celebrate, the trade show appears to be channeling iconic Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein with a film innocuously titled “Coming Home.” Streaming on...

Bebe Stores Inc. founder Manny Mashouf announced sweeping changes to his suffering business on May 7 as he presided over his first analyst conference call since coming out of a semi-retirement and re...

Vernon, Calif.–based premium-denim brand True Religion released its first-quarter financial results on May 5, and Wall Street liked it. Total net sales for the quarter were $63.6 million—up more than 1...

A growing coterie of upscale sample-sale Web sites is providing designers with an outlet to discreetly sell overstock merchandise, but these e-tailers say they are helping build brand loyalty for the ...

The swine flu outbreak in Mexico is costing California companies making clothing in that country millions of dollars to cover the expense of government-mandated factory closings and a high-rate of abs...

Monday, May 4

For fashion fans, the only thing better than a runway show is a chance to meet the designer. Barneys Co-op and Los Angeles retail center The Grove want to give the public that opportunity at an upcoming event in Los Angeles. Set for May 14 from 9 to...

Friday, May 1

There was a flurry of activity on the afternoon of the second day of new fabric trade show GlobalTex as designer—including Kevan Hall, Eva Franco, Rory Beca, Andrew Christian, Mona Thalheimer and Barb...

TWILIGHT SPRING: “Twilight” star Ashley Greene, pictured right, models styles from the For Joseph label. On left is Jessica Lowndes of TV show “90210”On April 30, some of Hollywood’s newest faces gathered at fashion...

Elyse Walker was warned by her friends not to open a men’s boutique. Stores for guys typically do not enjoy the same earnings as women’s fashion stores, they said. Walker thanked her friends for their ...

Truckers hauling cargo in and out of the two ports in the Los Angeles area got a temporary reprieve from certain requirements under the Clean Trucks Program, although a fee increase for cargo owners r...